Medical Assistant Certification Exam Study Guide
questions and verified answers 2026.
Parts of the medical history include: - ANSWER: 1. chief complaint
2. history of present illness (HPI)
3. past, family and social history (PFSH)
4. review of systems (ROS)
Define chief complaint - ANSWER: what brings the patient in to see the physician
Define history of present illness (HPI) - ANSWER: explanation of the chief complaint
to determine:
1. onset of illness
2. associated symptoms
3. what the patient has done to treat the illness
Define past medical history - ANSWER: 1. all health problems
2. major illnesses
3. surgeries
4. current medications complete with reasons for taking them
5. allergies
Define family history - ANSWER: summary of health problems of siblings, parents
and other blood relatives
Define social history - ANSWER: Includes:
1. marital status
2. occupation
3. educational attainment
4. hobbies
,5. use of alcohol/tobacco/drugs
6. lifestyles
Define review of systems - ANSWER: orderly and systematic check of each organ
and system of the boy by questions.
What are the 3 vital signs that are necessary for life? - ANSWER: 1. temperature
2. respiration
3. heart function (blood pressure)
What are the four vital signs of body function? - ANSWER: 1. temperature
2. pulse
3. respiration
4. blood pressure
What is the normal range of body temperature? - ANSWER: 96.6-100.6 F
Define body temperature - ANSWER: the balance between heat production and heat
loss
Body temperature is regulated by what structure? - ANSWER: the hypothalamus
Site for most accurate body temperature - ANSWER: Rectum
Least accurate site for body temperature - ANSWER: Axillary
3 types of fever - ANSWER: 1. Intermittent
2. Remittent
3. Continuous
, Define intermittent fever - ANSWER: fluctuating fever that returns to or below
baseline then rises again
Define remittent fever - ANSWER: fluctuating fever that remains elevated: it does
not return to baseline temperature
Define continuous fever - ANSWER: a fever that remains constant above the
baseline: it does not fluctuate
Which is the most common site for temperatures - ANSWER: oral
In patients who have just finished eating, drinking, or smoking, how long should you
wait before taking a temperature - ANSWER: 30 minutes
Patients with heart disease should not have which temperature taken? - ANSWER:
rectal
Normal pulse range - ANSWER: 60-100 bpm
Most accurate pulse - ANSWER: apical pulse
Normal respiratory range - ANSWER: 12 to 20 per minute in adults
3 respiratory rate abnormalities - ANSWER: 1. apnea
2. tachypnea
3. bradypnea
Define apnea - ANSWER: temporary complete absence of breathing which may be a
result of a reduction in the stimuli to the respiratory centers of the brain
Define tachypnea - ANSWER: respiration rate of greater than 40/minute. It is
transient in the newborn and maybe caused by hysteria in the adult
questions and verified answers 2026.
Parts of the medical history include: - ANSWER: 1. chief complaint
2. history of present illness (HPI)
3. past, family and social history (PFSH)
4. review of systems (ROS)
Define chief complaint - ANSWER: what brings the patient in to see the physician
Define history of present illness (HPI) - ANSWER: explanation of the chief complaint
to determine:
1. onset of illness
2. associated symptoms
3. what the patient has done to treat the illness
Define past medical history - ANSWER: 1. all health problems
2. major illnesses
3. surgeries
4. current medications complete with reasons for taking them
5. allergies
Define family history - ANSWER: summary of health problems of siblings, parents
and other blood relatives
Define social history - ANSWER: Includes:
1. marital status
2. occupation
3. educational attainment
4. hobbies
,5. use of alcohol/tobacco/drugs
6. lifestyles
Define review of systems - ANSWER: orderly and systematic check of each organ
and system of the boy by questions.
What are the 3 vital signs that are necessary for life? - ANSWER: 1. temperature
2. respiration
3. heart function (blood pressure)
What are the four vital signs of body function? - ANSWER: 1. temperature
2. pulse
3. respiration
4. blood pressure
What is the normal range of body temperature? - ANSWER: 96.6-100.6 F
Define body temperature - ANSWER: the balance between heat production and heat
loss
Body temperature is regulated by what structure? - ANSWER: the hypothalamus
Site for most accurate body temperature - ANSWER: Rectum
Least accurate site for body temperature - ANSWER: Axillary
3 types of fever - ANSWER: 1. Intermittent
2. Remittent
3. Continuous
, Define intermittent fever - ANSWER: fluctuating fever that returns to or below
baseline then rises again
Define remittent fever - ANSWER: fluctuating fever that remains elevated: it does
not return to baseline temperature
Define continuous fever - ANSWER: a fever that remains constant above the
baseline: it does not fluctuate
Which is the most common site for temperatures - ANSWER: oral
In patients who have just finished eating, drinking, or smoking, how long should you
wait before taking a temperature - ANSWER: 30 minutes
Patients with heart disease should not have which temperature taken? - ANSWER:
rectal
Normal pulse range - ANSWER: 60-100 bpm
Most accurate pulse - ANSWER: apical pulse
Normal respiratory range - ANSWER: 12 to 20 per minute in adults
3 respiratory rate abnormalities - ANSWER: 1. apnea
2. tachypnea
3. bradypnea
Define apnea - ANSWER: temporary complete absence of breathing which may be a
result of a reduction in the stimuli to the respiratory centers of the brain
Define tachypnea - ANSWER: respiration rate of greater than 40/minute. It is
transient in the newborn and maybe caused by hysteria in the adult
